Spending on education is about 2% of the federal budget. That sliver of the budgetary pie was $63.8 billion in 2011. Even in the climate of debt reduction the President’s education budget for fiscal year 2013 is likely to see an increase. But this budget will need to be approved by congress. Given congress’ track record of bi-partisanship this debate could get ugly.
Category Archives: Current Affairs
Olympia and Novice Advocacy
Today was the culmination of a decision I made sparked by authoring this post, titled "What to do when you need someone to tell you what to do." If you click back to that post, I lined out eight levels of involvement as an advocate for the education profession, and basically posed the question: "how do we move ourselves to the next step in advocating for students, teachers, and the profession as a whole?" Realizing that I needed to practice what I preached, I made the decision to participate in the February 20th WEA-NBCT political action day.
I realized that I was hovering in the lower levels, having occasionally crested as high as level six. Never, before today at least, had I set foot in any offices in Olympia to meet with senators or representatives. Before I reflect on my meetings, I have three simple take-aways from today:
1. This was way easier than I thought it would be.
2. This was easy because we have a system in Washington that seeks to amplify teacher voice.
3. You can do this, too. (See take-away #1.)
The School of the Future
By Travis
The school of the future will not be housed on a cloud, or a floating pod. The school of the future will not have whole sides of buildings made out of windows, nor will students sit, discussing great works of literature through their hand-held discussion devices.
No, the school of the future is more real.
It IS attainable.
It IS possible.
The school if the future will have No Tardies, No Failing Students, and No Homework. The school of the future is only a few years away.
The Bill That Shifts The RIFs
Each spring the uncertainties of student enrollment, teacher transfers or retirement, and funding make budgetary predictions difficult.
To remain financially sound some districts send out pink slips to the newest teachers. In no way is this ideal. These teachers face uncertainty about their employment future. Some of the district’s best teachers, who happen to be new hires, may not have their contracts renewed.
New legislation, yet to be introduced, may change how districts respond to RIFs. Instead of RIFs base on level of experience they may be based on a teacher’s evaluation relative to other teachers.
This bill, I assume, is in response to schools being unable to retain effective teachers when they are forced to lay off staff.
In 2009-2010, 3% of Washington’s teachers were given RIF notices. 87% of those teachers were recalled. Evidence does not suggest that the best and brightest young teachers are losing out to ineffective veterans.
Still, this idea is compelling. Shouldn’t the best teachers be the last ones to be laid off? Yes. If only it were that simple.
Distinguishing between the best and the worst teacher in a school may not be that difficult. But it is much more difficult to distinguish between the second and the third worst (one may keep their job while the other may not).
New evaluation systems are expected to have different criteria for novice and experienced teachers. Is a good novice teacher more effective than an average experienced teacher? Who wins in this RIF race a teacher with five years of solid student growth and one recent year of poor growth or the second year teacher with two years of average growth?
What are the recall rights for a RIFed teacher?
When the art program is cut can somebody determine the relative effectiveness between a high school and elementary art teacher?
The idea, keeping the best, is elegant. Implementing this idea? Not so much. Since relatively few new teachers actually lose positions this law is unlikely to result in an improved teaching force.
I'd like to see lawmakers put their efforts elsewhere. If lawmakers want to address the problems related to RIFs they should fulfill their paramount duty and fully fund education. And they should allow local school districts the time and space to implement the new evaluation criteria. Many stakeholders came together to put this evaluation model in place. Rolling out this system will be challenging. Rolling out this system while simultaneously addressing the complexities of a new model for RIFs seems unwise. But I'm no lawmaker…
Camp Fired
By Travis
The message is clear. Very clear.
On the surface, the message comes across as positive, saying there is an organization out there to help children. I am all for helping children.
However, there is hidden message. An agenda, perhaps? This subtle meaning sends its message to the community even if the community does not consciously read it that way.
Motoring Towards Privatization?
By Rob
Tom has written some thoughtful posts (here, here, and here) about charter schools. When I read about charter schools with a cohesive staff, a common vision, and high standards for all I’m excited about the possibilities for their use in education reform. I am also a firm believer that the same reforms are possible for public schools.
If charter schools take hold then resources will shift towards making them viable. Who provides the transportation? Who maintains the facilities? Who provides the special education services in the least restrictive environment? Who provides the oversight? Undoubtedly answers to these questions are possible. But what if the resources used to address these questions were invested in local school improvement?
The Four Point Scale…. again.
By Mark
I sat at a table with two other teachers, two building administrators, and the top two admin from the district office. We'd spent the better part of an hour sorting through the assessment rubrics and frameworks associated with the new teacher evaluation system mandated through legislative action in Senate Bill 6696.
Silence settled on us all at once. The weight of what we were examining suddenly became overwhelming.
Like so many things in education, the ideas and philosophies behind this new evaluation system (in brief: a shift from the binary satisfactory/unsatisfactory on a menu of teacher behaviors to a four-point continuum of evaluation using as many as sixty individual descriptors of teacher practice) we could all agree were sound, necessary, and powerful both in terms of evaluation and potential professional development.
But as we began to picture how it all could transition from philosophy to action, the beast began to be revealed.
Searching for Mr./Ms. Right
By Rob
Me: Teacher- youngish, energetic, and looking for new perspectives. You: an inspiration- must be willing to share ideas and be a good listener. Let’s build a relationship based on good intentions, trust, and a common vision.
Earlier this month Diane Ravitch spoke on school reform at Town Hall Seattle. Her message to a friendly audience was a critique of the “corporate reform movement.” It was a mix of motivating rhetoric, valid points, and verbal grenades. Her positions concerning Race to the Top, NCLB, merit pay, the use of student assessment data to evaluate teachers match my own. I appreciate she is speaking on my behalf.
A week before Ravitch’s visit to Seattle Michelle Rhee spoke at Boston Symphony Hall. I can only assume her speech was equal to Ravitch’s in passion but opposite in perspective. I expect someone in the audience found her perspectives matched their own and they are thankful she is speaking on his or her behalf.
Turning the Corner
By Mark
For me, mentally, the coming December holiday break marks the "half-way" point in the school year. While this is not necessarily chronologically true, it is certainly emotionally true.
Back when I was a pre-service teacher, I remember seeing a chart like this one that graphs a first-year teacher's motivation and emotion over the calendar year–with November and December being the pit of disillusionment–but don't despair, rejuvenation and hope are just around the corner!
Ten years later, I feel like the chart still applies to me. It is always in November and December that I wander the web to see what other kinds of jobs my credentials and dispositions might match.
What NBCTs Mean for Washington
As our way to recognize and celebrate the National Board score release this weekend, our NBCT/Bloggers shared a bit about what being a National Board Certified Teacher has meant for them, and for our state. The process of becoming National Board Certified involves hundreds of planning hours and demonstrating best practices in teaching. Those who recently certified had an additional stress of a delay in score results due to a computer server glitch.
With the glitch solved, and over a thousand new NBCTs to join them in Washington state, we offer our congratulations and invite you to read on and be inspired by what our bloggers have said about how being National Board Certified is making a difference for teachers in our state.